Gracefool Collective are very excited to announce that we have been selected as the next beneficiaries of professional development programme, CATAPULT.

CATAPULT is a professional development programme that supports an emerging Yorkshire-based dance maker or collective. Funded byLankellyChase Foundation, and initiated by Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD), the programme is managed by Spin Arts Management, and delivered by both NSCD and Spin Arts in partnership withYorkshire Dance. The purpose is to support the creative practice and strategic development of the recipient for one year, helping to launch a career.

The CATAPULT programme entitles us to:

- Intensive mentoring and support from a dedicated Creative Producer at Spin Arts Management

- Artistic and production support, including rehearsal space, and opportunities to present new work/work-in-progress and receive feedback

- Business advice, mentoring and management services from all three partner organisations, including fundraising and marketing support, networking and shadowing opportunities

- Financial incentives, including a bursary, support for theatre visits, promotional materials, and membership of The Collective - Yorkshire Dance's Professional Network

We are very excited to have been chosen for Catapult and cannot wait to explore all of the avenues this opportunity will allow us to access. It will be a chance to really investigate our style artistically, and focus on developing our core organisational skills, with the support of some fantastic arts professionals in the Leeds community, which we are very proud to be a part of. We are really looking forward to gaining more knowledge about the workings of our industry, so that we can confidently take the next steps in the profession, under the best guidance and mentorship possible. We also look forward to being able to produce some exciting new work!

Janet Smith, NSCD Principal says, “Leeds is taking significant steps towards realising its status as the UK’s major city for dance outside London. The city boasts a fantastically diverse body of organisations and individual artists, all passionate about dance and dedicated to creative collaboration. Our dance scene is remarkably vibrant but it’s essential that we continue to create opportunities for artists to thrive here so we can retain the best of our talent and attract new creative influences. CATAPULT helps us to achieve these goals by bringing together three significant Leeds-based dance organisations, all committed to working together to develop the city as an international centre for dance. We are extremely grateful to LankellyChase for their support.”

If you’re interested in hearing more about Gracefool’s work please get in touch with:

sarah@spin-arts.com or follow them on Facebook or Twitter: (@gracefoolC).